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Brotherhood of Alterac
''"Should the moment come that you must ask 'Do I serve the Light or do I serve Alterac?', the choice should be clear. To serve Alterac is to serve the Light. To dedicate yourself to defending your family, wife, & children. To defend comrades & countrymen to the bitter end. It is our hope that in your service to the Lady's people, you will be seen by the fallen heroes of the Light with honor & be welcomed as a brother." '' -Unknown Paladin of Alterac Summary: The Brotherhood of Alterac was an order of Paladins in service to Alterac. While not sanctioned by the Silver Hand nor loyal or subservient to the Church of the Holy Light, it was a body of Paladins & other heavily-armored warriors that was governed jointly by the Sovereign and Lord-Spiritual of Alterac (with the Alterac Coalition's temporary fulfillment of the Sovereign's position). Originally conceived as a proposed chapter of the Silver Hand, disputes by some over sovereignty & potential political abuses put forward by recent scandals ultimately pushed for the creation of the group as a separate institution from the Silver Hand, a group that is but one arm of the Grand Alliance's military. Upon disagreement to the notion of Silver Hand-likeness, Lord Reynalden declared it to follow the musings of Uther and Faol alone---nothing else. While the state religion of Alterac remains the Holy Light and the Order practices the Three Virtues of Respect, Tenacity and Compassion, the Alteraci Knights were---by no means---Chapter-members of the Hand or Canons of a College to the Church of the Holy Light; rather, it was exclusively for Alterac's service alone. Creation: During its early stages of creation, some speculated if the Order was to be called "The Poor Knights of St. Braelin" or "The Orthodox Hospitallers of Alterac", due to their mastery of trade-crafts and healing---especially their tendency to donate to the Kingdom regularly, whether in labor or currency. Other names were proposed in order to detract similarity to or being mistaken as Silver Hand, such as "The Brotherhood of Alteraci Knights", "The Knight-Brothers of Alterac" or "The Spears of the Hawk". Ultimately, the "Brotherhood" was accepted unanimously---as the second-most favored name, "The Order of the Orthodox Alteraci Knights", was seen as being too similar to the Church of the Holy Light's claims to orthodoxy. Organization: The Brotherhood's Knights were not only trained in combat and scripture, but many also artisans in the healing arts and/or a trade skill of their choosing. The Knights were meant to be loyal to Alterac as a whole whilst devoutly observing the tenets of the Holy Light. Paths of trade, defense, or healing were all beneficial to the rebirth of the nation & the Brotherhood wishes to foster all in a common but decentralized manner. The Lord-Spiritual and Alterac Coalition Council would decide upon financial and military matters of the Brotherhood; meanwhile, the Paladins were organized as Knights and Squires, with a triumvirate known as 'Highbrothers' serving as the primary officers within the organization. As a means to more smoothly and adequately equip and train Squires in the Brotherhood, the common axe was the first weapon they trained with and carried to battle. The Axe was meant to represent practicality & the ideal of the common citizen taking up the tool used in most Alteraci's day to day lives. Able to serve as a tool on & off the battlefields, the Axe allows an army of soldiers to become an effective army of lumberjacks against Alterac's thick pine forestlands. To honor this , the Brotherhood has adopted as its symbol a pair of crossed Axes gripped by a Hawk, forged generally of bronze-steel with flecks of granite. The Axe, however, was a single weapon among the Brotherhood's armory. Swords, Hammers, Spears, and Shields were tools often called on for various tasks, so learning to use one or all of these weapons would be a practical measure for the long-term survival of a Brotherhood member. While not compulsory, it was highly recommended to learn some or all of these weapons upon completion of a Squire's Axe training. Mastery of a weapon style distinct from use of the Axe was required for Knighthood among the Brotherhood (i.e. use of a single handed axe & a single handed sword would not suffice, but use of a single handed axe and a two handed sword would). Though initially having no formal training grounds, the Brotherhood was offered access & use of the Barony of the White Gate by Lord Anton Caerwyn for purposes of gathering, training, and housing. The rocky & desolate terrain of the region offers the Brotherhood a place to build up a soul & soldier on limited in a way of life more rugged than most in Alterac, in hopes of instilling in the Brother's Knights a respect for the simple & generally rough conditions Alterac's peoples must deal with. Internal influences from the Brotherhood itself as well as the separation of the Priesthood & Monkhood into a new religious body brought about the reorganization based somewhat on the model of the Northern Orthodox Church. Primarily, the creation of a triumvirate with leaders based on the ideological founders of the three 'Branch Fraternities' as the initial Triumvirate heads. The offices of 'Highbrother' would act as the official leaders within the Brotherhood & given some autonomy in regards to organization within their specific Branch, but report directly to the Lord-Commander & the current Sovereign of the Kingdom. The Noble Benefactors simply funded the Brotherhood with their own finances, regularly attending various functions---even to the point of granting land tithes. The Lord-Spiritual csupervised and ensured they do not contradict Alteraci traditions or harm other religions---yet, did not hold actual command therein. The Brotherhood, although for the sake of operation purposes kept some secrets, making public record of members to Alterac & taking accusations of corruption & abuse of power seriously. Although they were bound to look after one another, they had made a vow to Alterac above all else to serve their nation with duty & honor. They knew the horrors the Syndicate have inflicted on Alterac & had made it their mission to see the Syndicate destroyed, but to become an instrument of terror against the Alteraci people would be the greatest failure the Brotherhood could endure. Self-policing, devotion to the Law of Alterac, and heeding the word of the people were the primary defenses against corruption. Regardless of gender, all members refer to one another as 'Brother', though some referred to female Knights as 'Sister'. Knights and Squires may have chosen to acknowledge the Highbrothers with their official title but there was no requirement to do so and many simply referred to them as 'Brother'. Ideology: Outwardly & publicly, most of the Brotherhood followed the Three Virtues of the Holy Light are Respect, Tenacity and Compassion. As one of the Dominion's military arms devoted to the cause of the Light, they were also nominally allied with the Northern Orthodox Church but held no official fealty to them and their creed. The Brotherhood was, above all else, a defensive weapon for Alterac. Along the lines of philosophy and tradition, the Brotherhood closely followed the precedents set by Archbishop Alonsus Faol and Lord Uther the Lightbringer; members were expected to walk in the Light's Graces, educating their fellow man whilst serving Alterac, but there was no "doctrine" or "canon" outside of Faol, Uther, the Virtues. Inwardly & privately, however, the Brotherhood was divided among three separate ideological factions, functioning much like fraternities (and being called such in an official capacity), each symbolically represented by a weapon. Although members of these distinct groups were not bound to use the weapons that their respective faction heralds, it was common for them to do so for Brotherhood ceremonies. There were no codes or edicts among the few Brotherhood texts that declare more Fraternities may not be formed or that a Brotherhood member was required to join any Fraternity, but the Fraternity's leaders were also the Brotherhood's leaders. This meant that there was some organization based upon the internal ramifications brought on by debates within the separate Fraternities, so joining one would be beneficial to a member. The Three Fraternities: *The Way of the Hammer/Hammer Brothers- Bound to the ideals of Mercy & Restoration, creating a brighter future prided on the aspect of the Light's healing grace, to restore Alterac's wounds, both physical & spiritual. Ideological founder: Tyrone Baast **Generally (but not always) the more spiritual-minded of the Brotherhood join this faction. *The Way of the Blade/Blade Brothers- Bound to the ideals of Piety & Tradition, devoted to rebuilding Alterac in its traditional image & defending Alterac utterly without question. Ideological founder: Almonte DuBois **Generally (but not always) the more defensive-minded of the Brotherhood join this faction. **Rumored to be a 'Traditionalist' faction within Alterac's military & society. *The Way of the Spear/Spear Brothers- Bound to the ideals of Service & Sacrifice, devoted to the concept of destruction & rebirth, destroying Alterac's enemies so Alterac may prosper. Ideological founder: Raleigh Sternbridge **Generally (but not always) the more offensive-minded of the Brotherhood join this faction. **Rumored to be an 'Imperialist' faction within Alterac's military & society. Assosciation with the Old Faith As decreed by the Dominion's House of Lords, the Brotherhood respected the right to free religious practice within Alterac's borders but seems to disapprove of Old Faith reverence among its ranks, varying in degree depending on individual & fraternity. Training, Activities & Conduct: A Brother of Alterac was expected to serve in the best interests of Alterac in the way they see fit, but human nature is itself conflictive so Brothers were expected to take to heart that what they feel may be in the best interests of Alterac may be not be seen the same by others. While some may feel they were fit to lord over the lands of Alterac as a King others may feel that the would-be monarch would be a menace as much as Perenolde. Hence all Brothers who choose to swear the Oath of Allegiance, which itself was almost verbatim the Alterac Loyalty Oath sworn by members of the Alterac House of Lords with the exception of 'Law' replaced with 'Light'. Knight training was simple & straight-forward: Because most members were expected to be already veterans to some degree in battlefield combat, the Brotherhood's training methods were a mixture of reviewing certain combat techniques, quick-paced team oriented exercises, self-survival & group survival exercises, and hands-on Ogre prisoner brawls. There methods were imprecise but drilled hard & it's expressed that 'a Knight should think on his feet because his weapon won't always be in his hands'. The White Gate barony is, aptly, somewhat barren and surviving outside the Brotherhood-built log cabins is difficult. Though trees and rock are abundant, there was little large game but an abundance of snowpine rabbits. Along with these, there is a monstrously large yeti called Fredheim living in White Gate. Fredheim, however, is unusually friendly for a yeti & did not bother the Brotherhood unless a new recruit makes the mistake of attacking him. Following this initial phase of training, Brothers were allowed to return to their previous duties wherever they might have been in Alterac. Brothers are often spread out across Alterac and rarely meet in large numbers. On one occasion the Brotherhood was gathered outside of Alterac in order to fight alongside allies in the lands of Quel'Athillien against a rebel baron. The Brotherhood suffered several humiliating charges and an immediate shift in policy followed after the conclusion of the rebellion. The Brotherhood served as a defensive and as a supplementary organization, not as a gathered army. They augment the standing forces of Alterac to defend it and in its efforts beyond the border, in order to avoid massive casualities on its part. A single defeat could devastate its ranks and the Brotherhood would not endure multiple losses. Beyond serving in a military capacity, Brothers were asked that they provide practical service to Alterac and, though not to the point of breaking the nation's neutrality, their comrades abroad. This includes helping with farms, helping with repairs whenever they can, or offering time or money to individuals or groups whom they feel were just. They were asked, but not required, not to demand compensation but when it was offered they would not feel obligated to decline. Along with goods & services to 'do good', Brothers were asked to simply 'be good' and not act as the fool who could damage the already smeared reputation of their motherland. Land Ownership With the sole exception of the Barony of White Gate, the Brotherhood did not actively own lands in the fallen Kingdom. While members were not discouraged to own land or seek to enter the ranks of the nobility, the Brotherhood has actively avoided acquiring lands in their names out of the potentiality of becoming beholden to those who live in their lands rather than being beholden to the whole of Alterac. Hence why the Barony of the White Gate was not officially land owned in title by the Brotherhood but still remains legally held by the House of Caerwyn, who graciously gifted the Barony to the Brotherhood for purposes of training & common gathering grounds. Crippling of the Brotherhood; Disbandment Though a standing force of the Brotherhood remains in Alterac to oversee and protect Dominion-held lands, a majority of the knights were asked to ride into the Dark Portal alongside Grand Duke Weisserose to face the threat posed by the 'Iron Horde'. Despite official policy, the Brotherhood eagerly rode into the unknown alongside their allies within the Violet Legion. On the other side of the Portal, the Brotherhood was immediately engaged in close-quarters combat with thousands of Iron Horde soldiers. Initially successful, the knights of Alterac were soon scattered after numbers overwhelmed their positions, scattering many of the knights into the wilds of Tanaan and out across the rest of Draenor. Some were fortunate enough to rally with their Violet Legion allies or making contact with them remotely. However, many of the knights were captured or fell in combat, leaving the order crippled. Two of the Highbrothers, Almonte DuBois and Raleigh Sternbridge, survived the ordeal and made contact with the Violet Legion. However, with so few of the Brotherhood confirmed to have survived the charge into Tanaan, the remaining knights no longer functioned as a single military unit and instead were spread out among the Violet Legion's military as the Legion's high command saw fit. The Brotherhood was quietly disbanded some time after their arrival on Draenor, with messengers sent back to Alterac to integrate the remaining knights into the regular military, though some knights chose to part ways entirely and left Alterac. The office of Highbrother and the Triumvirate which governed the Brotherhood were dissolved. Their singular holding of the Barony of the White Gate remained defended by some of the former Brotherhood Knights following the Brotherhood's disbandment, returning officially to control of the Duchy of Aurellia a month after the Brotherhood's disbandment. The Crown of Granite Organized in secret by Lord Aneirin Caerwyn IV and several other nobles, an order known as The Crown of Granite was formed from selected soldiers and former knights of the Brotherhood of Alterac several months after the Brotherhood's official disbandment (and without the knowledge of the Brotherhood's former Highbrothers). Garbed in arcane-imbued weave robes and specially crafted crowned masks, the Crown is an elite corps of bodyguards who exclusively serve the House of Lords and high-profile guests within the Dominion's territories. With the robes and masks serving to protect the identities of these elite soldiers, the Crown's members are rotated between their duties as Crown Guardians and in the general military of the Dominion in order to increase the military's overall effectiveness in the field, unlike its predecessor organization where skilled soldiers were concentrated into a single military force. Its exact membership and hierarchy are known exclusively to select members of the Alterac House of Lords. Category:Kingdom of Alterac Category:Organizations Category:Military Organizations Category:Dominion of Alterac Category:Paladins Category:Alterac Military Category:House of Weisserose Category:House of Baast Category:Disbanded Organizations